Darrun Hilliard has been stepping up and making plays for Villanova recently. In addition to being solid for most of the season, he has been the team's leading scorer since Big East games began and is number-two on the team in scoring for the season overall with 11.7 points per game, ahead of Ryan Arcidiacono with 11.3 ppg and behind JayVaughn Pinkston, averaging 12.5 ppg.
Hilliard has connected on one-third of his shots from beyond the arc, placing him third on the team. He holds the team's second-best offensive rating (ORtg) according to Ken Pomeroy's tempo-free analysis.
He scored 17 points in each of the last two games for Villanova, shooting 75% from the field and 66.7% from deep against South Florida and 63.6% overall and 50% from deep against DePaul. Overall, for the past week, he shot a terrific 68.4% from the field and helped the Wildcats win their last two games.
BIG EAST Player of the Week
KADEEM BATTS, Providence, F, Jr.
Batts scored 25 points and pulled down nine rebounds — both team highs — to lead Providence to a 54-50 win against No. 17/17 Cincinnati in the Friars’ only game of the week. He made 10 of his 17 field goal attempts (58.8 percent) and led a defensive effort that limited the Bearcats to a season-low 50 points. Batts has averaged 14.3 points and 7.1 rebounds per game and is one of seven BIG EAST players to rank in the league’s top 20 in both scoring and rebounding.
BIG EAST Rookie of the Week
JAKARR SAMPSON, St. John’s, F, Fr.
Sampson averaged 19.5 points and 6.0 rebounds while shooting 58.6 percent from the field (17-of-29) in a 1-1 week for the Red Storm. He had 18 points and six rebounds in a 71-65 win against Connecticut and had 21 points with six boards in a 77-58 loss at Syracuse. Sampson, who has led St. John’s in scoring in each of his last three games, has averaged 14.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game this year.
BIG EAST Honor Roll
SHABAZZ NAPIER, Connecticut, G, Jr.
Averaged 18.0 points and 7.0 assists in a 1-1 week.
OTTO PORTER, JR., Georgetown, F, So.
Scored 19 points with 14 rebounds in a 69-63 win at Rutgers.
CHANE BEHANAN, Louisville, F, So.
Averaged 19.0 points and 11.0 rebounds in a 1-1 week. Had 30 points and 15 rebounds in a five-overtime loss at Notre Dame.
C.J. FAIR, Syracuse, F, Jr.
Averaged 17.5 points and 9.5 rebounds in a 2-0 week.
DARRUN HILLIARD, Villanova, G, So.
Averaged 17.0 points and shot 68.4 percent from the field in a 2-0 week.